When we think of diplomacy, we think of a grand scenery: Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un signing or not signing a document, or Xi Jingping inviting heads of state to his Belt and Road Forum. These high-level talks, often called ‘track 1’ diplomacy, aim for official treaties and agreements.  But that’s not the only way to help resolve and prevent conflict. Informal channels help build bridges and keem communications open when high level talks are stuck. Interacting on more informal levels allows professionals from academia, NGOs, or religious leaders to feel the ground for conflict resolution. Who can governments send to negotiate with terrorists? What influence do private diplomatic organization have on peace processes? How big is the field of private diplomacy? And what part will it play in the current decoupling of the U.S. and China? With Writer, journalist and private diplomat Michael Vatikiotis we looked into diplomacy off-site of the many cameras and overly staffed summits.

Michael Vatikiotis is a writer, journalist and private diplomat, currently serving as the Asia Regional Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Geneva-based private foundation that facilitates dialogue to resolve armed conflicts, and a member of the International Council of the Asia Society. Formerly, he was editor of the Far Eastern Economic Review and a correspondent for the Hong Kong-based news magazine for 16 years and still writes opinion pieces for international and regional newspapers and is a regular contributor to Al Jazeera and the BBC. He is the author of two novels set in Indonesia, his latest book Blood and Silk: Power and Conflict in Modern Southeast Asia was published in June 2017. Michael Vatikiotis has been working in Southeast Asia since 1987 and currently lives in Singapore.